State to spend $14.7M training 290 troopers

Tuesday

Feb 12, 2013 at 12:01 AM

State police may receive a much-needed injection of cash to train 290 new cadets, although the governor's budget proposal may not be enough to offset nearly 1,400 troopers who are eligible to retire this summer.

STEVE McCONNELL

State police may receive a much-needed injection of cash to train 290 new cadets, although the governor's budget proposal may not be enough to offset nearly 1,400 troopers who are eligible to retire this summer.

In Gov. Tom Corbett's 2013-14 budget, he called for the agency to receive an additional $14.7 million dedicated solely to training three new state police cadet classes.

His budget, which has not yet been approved, also sets aside another $6 million to hire 90 new civilian police dispatchers to free up troopers who are taking on that duty instead of going on patrol.

Still taking into consideration the potential $20.7 million cash boost and hirings, the agency is bracing for an avalanche of retirements. This fiscal year, 136 troopers have retired or have said they intend to retire, according to the governor's office.

"That's the ones we know about," said Maria Finn, state police spokeswoman.

And another 1,243 troopers have the option of retiring by the end of June.

"The problem is that the number of new troopers is not keeping pace with the number of outgoing troopers," state police Commissioner Frank Noonan said in a statement.

The agency, charged with providing police coverage for 82 percent of the state, 63 percent of its roads, and 26 percent of its population, is authorized to have 4,689 troopers on the force.

As of last week, it was 498 troopers short of that total, Finn said.

Thinning its resources even further, the agency is contending with the dissolving of municipal law enforcement departments as cash-strapped municipalities search for ways to cut expenses.